Could Prisons Soon Be Guarded by Robots?

South Korea is hoping to become the first country to hire robots to help guard their prison populations. The nation’s Ministry of Justice rolled out its plan to implement the robotic guards starting next March at a prison in Pohang.

The robots, developed by scientists at Kyonggi University, are designed to monitor prison settings and conditions and alert human guards to potential threats or escapes. The robots will not be able to enforce order or threaten inmates with physical action if an incident should occur. Prof. Lee Baik-chul insisted these robots “are not terminators” and aren’t designed to completely replace human prison guards, only to help them with their jobs and make their work loads less stressful. If they were terminators, this would sound incredibly similar to an awful Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, and don’t give that guy any ideas, since he is currently out of work.

The robots will also help inmates contact guards quicker in case of an emergency like a fight, a stabbing, if another prisoner is digging a tunnel behind a poster in their cell or if an inmate is trying to get to third base without asking.